Lok Janshakti party to contest Punjab polls alone

Jalandhar, Aug 5(UNI) The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) of Ram Vilas Paswan will contest on its own for all the 117 seats in the Punjab assembly polls to be held by February next year.

Party's state president Amar Singh Mehmi told reporters here today that the LJP had decided against having an alliance with any party for the elections. ''We will field candidates in all 117 constituencies,'' he added.

Mr Mehmi said the party national president and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan had directed the Punjab unit to prepare itself to contest election for all the seats.

He said the party had already organised the party cadre at district level throughout the state and the block level camps were being organised at present.

The state party cadre would also carry out cycle yatras in rural areas to establish close rapport with the people. These yatras would begin from September one, Mr Mehmi said.

Mr Mehmi said his party was not optimistic over the feasibility and formation of a third front in the state and, thus, decided to go to the polls all alone.

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